I gave up teaching for a spell!

FRANK CONJURES UP MAGICAL NEW CAREER

- PAIGE OLDFIELD

A FORMER teacher says he is living the dream after swapping report cards for card tricks.

Frank Farrell, from Whalley Range, decided to pursue his dream of becoming a magician after retiring from teaching at the age of 60.

The grandad-of-one had loved magic since he was a child but always kept his passion purely as a hobby.

That was until a child asked him to perform a magic trick while on holiday in India, rekindling his interest after many years.

Frank decided to start taking magic seriously by investing in a tutor and learning through recommended books.

Once his confidence grew, he joined a magic society and began taking part in shows.

But things really took off when Frank was offered a paid gig at a birthday party, igniting the idea he could do it for a living.

"I thought it was nice, someone thinking I was good enough to be paid," Frank, now 66, said.

"Someone else was saying that to me and they obviously liked what they were seeing. He put the idea in my head."